Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity and Population, Senator Victor Umeh, has urged the federal government to accelerate plans to ensure the conduct of a credible population and housing census in the country despite the cost.

Speaking at the event organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) to commemorate the 2025 World Population Day (WPD) on Tuesday in Abuja, Umeh stated that the last census in the country was in 2006, emphasising that it has become very imperative for the government to conduct another census exercise to enable it to plan effectively for development.

He said, “Every day we talk about Nigerians being about 230 million people, people who ascribe any figure to be the projected population of Nigerians. How can you manage their needs if you don’t know who they are, how many they are? Yesterday I was somewhere, somebody said Nigerians are over 300 million.I cannot fault the person because we had our last census in 2006. That’s 19 years today.

“The government needs to accelerate its plans towards conducting the census exercise, the cost notwithstanding. If you don’t have the exact number of people in your country, you cannot plan for its development. How can you continue to approximate and project? One day, we will end up not knowing who we are catering for. Government must be able to have a credible census to prepare to deliver the needs of the various segments of the population.”

He argued that with an accurate and credible population and housing census, the government would be able to allocate available resources effectively and get the country functioning well.
Umeh noted that with over half of our population under the age of 30, Nigeria’s demographic future rests in the hands of its youth, adding that to empower them meaningfully, reliable disaggregated data must guide the government.

He insisted on the timely conduct of a credible population and housing census in Nigeria, which is essential for inclusive development, equitable resource distribution and youth-responsive policy.

Umeh stated that the Senate is committed to providing the necessary institutional framework to ensure that Nigeria’s population data is accurate, timely and inclusive, and that youth empowerment remains central to the national development agenda.

He commended the NPC for its commitment to ensuring Nigeria is ready for the census exercise and urged the government to support the commission and provide it with all the necessary resources.

The lawmaker emphasised the need to strengthen the mandates of the NPC and empower the commission so that it can achieve its goals, and assured that the National Assembly will continue to support and champion legislation and reforms that advance the NPC’s mandates.
“We in the National Assembly are ready to support you with the reforms that you can muster through our appropriation channels. So that this census will no longer be a mirage. Nigeria needs to count the human beings living here and also count the houses, considering the mass housing deficit in the country, to enable the government to plan for mass housing.

Also speaking, Chairman of NPC, Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, said that the commission remains committed to generating accurate, disaggregated population data through the Census and other surveys to support evidence-based decision-making.

He noted that there is a significant shift in population dynamics across the world as global population growth is slowing, with many countries now experiencing declining fertility rates and ageing populations, adding that this trend has sparked debates around the world, tagged “population collapse” in some parts of the world.

Kwarra, however, observed that population growth in developing countries, including Nigeria, presents a different picture, with more than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30, representing over 130 million young people out of the estimated 216.8 million in 2022.
He said, “The Nigeria Youth Policy (2024-2028) defined youth as people aged 15-29 years. This population accounts for 28.9 per cent of the country’s population, which is 64.4 million people. These are not just statistics. They are our students, our workers and our leaders in waiting.

“With this population structure, we are among the few countries with a youthful and growing population. This presents us not with a crisis, but with a powerful opportunity. If properly harnessed, this demographic structure can fuel innovation, productivity, and inclusive growth. But to achieve this, we must put the needs, voices, and aspirations of young people at the heart of our development agenda.”
Reflecting on the theme of the event, “Empowering Young People to Create the Families they want in a fair and Hopeful World,” Kwarra stated that empowering young people is not charity but a sustainable development Strategy that requires investing in young people to harness the demographic dividend.

“This means investing in quality education and skills development, sexual and reproductive health, including family planning, and good governance and ensuring youth participation. It also means investing in employment and entrepreneurship to provide decent jobs, as well as investments in data management, including ensuring compliance with the conduct of a population and housing census every ten years to generate evidence to track the progress made on the National and sub-national development plans, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

“The 2025 State of World Population Report reminds us that across the world, young people are not choosing to have fewer children simply out of preference. Rather, many are navigating difficult circumstances that influence their choices, such as uncertainty about the future, limited access to health services, quality education, employment, affordable housing and economic instability,” her added.

On her part, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, observed that many women, particularly in rural and underserved areas, still lack official identification, which excludes them from accessing healthcare, financial services, legal protection, and social security.

She noted that promoting inclusive and accessible identity registration for women and girls must be central to the population development strategy. She emphasised the importance of deploying mobile registration services, leveraging technology, empowering local women-led groups, and raising public awareness to reach those currently unreached.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim noted that the day provides another opportunity to reflect on the population realities influencing national development and to promote policies that leave no one behind, especially women and girls.

She emphasised that women and girls make up nearly half of Nigeria’s estimated 223 million population, highlighting that with about 20 per cent of the population being girls under 15, the future of the nation depends on how effectively the country invests in their visibility, identity, education, and well-being.